Tamarind Date Chutney

Guys...I have no words to describe this chutney.

It has become my number one favorite chutney! Zoomed right to the top...

So guys, how was your weekend? Good, bad, somewhere in between?

After a not so great week, I had a decent weekend. I had a thought provoking weekend. It  has been all about defying what I thought I liked. Hmmm.

I went Sari shopping with my mother in law and picked up a sari I never imagined myself buying. I bought a Mysore Silk, my first! I went so certain I wouldn't even buy silk. I surprised myself by picking up this mustard yellow and green Mysore Silk. The color combination I love, in a fabric I never though I could love. But it is lovely and I hope I enjoy wearing it. I've already started planning how to accessorize the Sari.

But my weekend got a lot better before I picked up the Sari. The reason? This awesome delicious amazing fabulous Tamarind Date Chutney I made earlier in the day and enjoyed with an even more delicious Sweet Potato Chaat (Recipe coming up soon, watch out!!)

Tamarind Date Chutney is an Indian version of barbeque sauce. It is tangy, it is sweet, it has a subtle taste of spice.

I am a more traditional South Indian coconut chutney kinda girl. At least I was, until I made this one.

I had one spoonful of the Tamarind Date Chutney and my mouth exploded. Seriously. Exploded with flavor. And I could not have enough of it. I kept sneaking in spoonfuls as I walked in and out of the kitchen while the chutney cooled. I'm sure I saw Raj do it too though he totally denies it.

It's not like I've not made Imli ki Chutney or Tamarind Chutney before, it's just that I'd never made it with dates. It was usually with sugar or jaggery and tamarind. While the sugar added to the sweetness it never gave the chutney that kind of depth it got from the dates.

This chutney can be eaten with anything and everything. You can use it as a marinade where ever you would use barbeque sauce. You can eat it with french fries or Samosa. I even topped a cracker with it and relished it off while no one was around.

The above para just states what you can do.... but not what you need to. You NEED to add this chutney to your chaat*. No chaat is complete without a tangy sweet tamarind chutney and once you've made chaat with THIS Tamarind Date Chutney, there is just no turning back.

*Chaat is Indian version of street food 

My message is clear - Eat this with absolutely anything. But eat it for sure. This chutney is what cravings are made of (when not chocolate cravings, of course, nothing beats chocolate in my world). Try it and tell me what you think.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Coriander Mint Chutney - Another must have for chaat, a tart spicy chutney made with fresh coriander and mint leaves.
• Mint Peanut Chutney - Simple cooked chutney made with mint and peanuts. Almost like a pesto.
• Creamy Pumpkin Sauce - Vegan creamy sauce made from ripe pumpkins.

Tamarind Date Chutney

Tamarind Date Chutney is an Indian version of barbeque sauce. It is tangy, it is sweet, it has a subtle taste of spice.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                3/4 cup

Ingredients:

0.25 cup Tamarind
1.5 cup warm Water
6-8 pitted Dates
1-2 tsp Jaggery powder or Brown Sugar
0.5 tsp Cumin Powder
0.25 tsp Red Chilli Powder

Method:

Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Squeeze the tamarind pulp and extract all tamarind juice.
Chop the dates finely.
Combine the tamarind and dates in a pan and cook on medium flame until it starts bubbling.
Add the cumin powder and red chilli powder and mix.
Cover and simmer on low flame for 8-10 minutes.
Allow it to cool and then blend into a smooth chutney.
Add jaggery powder or brown sugar if the chutney is not sweet enough.
Add water if the consistency is very thick.
Serve chilled.

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Super Tasty Millet Cutlets

TGIF!! Right? Weekend officially begins for most of us.

Well not so much for me this week. I'm working tomorrow. Not a happy feeling, I have to admit. Saturday is my favorite day of the week. I like that happy feeling that there is another day of holiday left. By Sunday, I'm usually sad that the weekend is "almost" over. Now all my plans for Saturday are out of the window and pushed to next Saturday. I wanted to go get some fresh mud to plant the variety of seeds I got free at an Organic Terrace Gardening workshop conducted a few weeks ago. 

I am looking forward to some fresh vegetables in the near future, but those plans have to wait until I get an entire weekend to dedicate to my balcony garden. 

More about that later.

So what else happened this week for you guys? 

I baked my first Vegan chocolate cake for Gee and Raj's birthday on Wednesday.  I have baked vegetarian cakes, but never vegan. It was super delicious, but so wrong in texture. I hope to keep trying to perfect it and hopefully will have it soon on the blog. 

So, none of that on top had anything to do with either my recipe for today or my new found obsession with millet. I'm beginning to use millet extensively these days, remember this post on Healthy Millet Salad? Since then I've tried out a few more recipes with Millet, but these Millet Cutlets have to be my favorite. I secretly love the fact that they are healthy too. Well not so much of a secret anymore, is it?

Usually vegetarian cutlets use potato as the base as it binds well. But this recipe, just like my Curried Brown Rice and Zucchini Fritters recipe, uses the starchy grain as the binding agent. And the good thing is, just like potato and rice, millet in itself is bland, so it absorbs all the flavor of the spices.

I used simple vegetables I had at home - frozen peas, beans and carrot. Feel free to use other vegetables like Zucchini or Beets. Next time I'm definitely adding Beets. Beets will give it lovely color and that earthy sweetness which I absolutely love in cutlets.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Vegetable Cutlets - Mix vegetable cutlets with coriander and mint chutney
• Healthy Millet Salad - Protein packed salad made from millet, kidney beans and fresh vegetables and herbs.
• Curried Brown Rice and Zucchini Fritters recipe - My most popular recipe of fritters or cutlets made with brown rice, zucchini and spices.

Super Tasty Millet Cutlet

Shallow fried cutlets made from foxtail millet and mixed vegetables.

Recipe Type:  Appetizer
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Makes 13-15

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Foxtail Millet or Navane
4-5 Green Beans
3 Tbsp Green Peas
1 small Carrot
1-2 tsp Green Chilli-Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1-2 tsp Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Jaggery or Sugar
Oil to fry
Water
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the millet in water for 30 minutes
Finely chop the green beans and the carrot.
Boil the green beans, carrot and green peas until done.
Drain the millet, and pressure cook it in 1 cup of water until the millets are cooked. Cook it for 1 whistle or for 3-4 minutes after the pressure builds up. If not using a pressure cooker, cook it the same way you would cook rice regularly until the millet is well done.
Allow it to cool until you can work with it.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked millet, cooked vegetables and mash slightly.
Add the coriander leaves, green chilli-ginger paste, lime juice, garam masala, turmeric powder, jaggery or sugar, salt and mix well.
Shape into cutlets and keep aside.
Heat 3-4 Tbsp of Oil in a frying pan and place the cutlets on it. Once the first side is golden brown, flip and cook until the other side is browned.
Serve hot with ketchup or mint chutney.

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Grilled Eggplant and Coriander Hummus Rolls

My latest addition to Finger Food that is finger licking good - Grilled Eggplant and Coriander Hummus Rolls. Silky smooth garlicky coriander hummus rolled in thinly sliced grilled eggplant. This recipe is super quick to make and has all makings of a healthy snack.

Who is a Hummus fan?? Obviously, Me, well so is Raj, there's Gee too... Well, the whole family is nuts about Hummus. The usual combination for hummus is Pita, but when you are bored to knead dough and roll out those light little pockets of Pita, I recommend trying this simple gluten free option to enjoy that amazing hummus.

As much as I like Hummus, I love Coriander or Cilantro just as much, or may be a little more. A sprinkle of coriander here, a tablespoon of coriander there. I literally, use it in everything I make. That vibrant fresh sprinkling of green, just brightens up any curry. It does the same to this Hummus. This Coriander Hummus is just one level above the regular Hummus in terms of flavor and color. I mean who does not find this lovely green appealing?

I can eat this Coriander Hummus with anything - crackers, chips, regular bread, chapati, roti, naan. I think I'm only yet to try it with rice. But on days that you are too bored to knead the dough and make your own light Pita pockets or you just fancy going gluten free, try this awesome combination of eggplant and hummus and tell me if you hear complains.

Ever since I bought my AWESOME new grill pan, I've been grilling EVERYTHING. Paneer, Eggplant, Peppers... this is just a small list. Grilling is so much fun, I love that nice char marks that I get from my new pan. Check out this super delicious Grilled Paneer Sandwich I made using the same pan.

However, I think I should warn you, these rolls are addictive and may never be enough for your family. They are also quite filling.

If you don't want to make your own hummus, you can just use your favorite store bought hummus. Roasted Pepper Hummus will also go great with the Eggplant.

If you like this, you may also like:

• Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich - Sandwich inspired by the Panera Bread sandwich of the same name.
• Olive Hummus - Hummus made using olives. No Tahini required.
• Eggplant Pizza - Grilled eggplant topped with tomato sauce and cheese

Grilled Eggplant and Coriander Hummus Rolls

These Eggplant Rolls are made by grilling finely sliced eggplant and spreading coriander hummus on them before rolling them into bite sized rolls.

Recipe Type:  Appetizer
Cuisine:            Middle Eastern
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Makes 13-15

Ingredients:

For Coriander Hummus:

1 cup cooked Chickpeas
1/2 cup Coriander leaves
2-3 Garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Water
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste

For Grilled Eggplant:

1 large Eggplant or Bharta Baingan
Water
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3-4 tsp of Oil

Method:

To make Coriander Hummus:

Chop the coriander leaves and garlic.
Blend together the chickpeas, coriander leaves, garlic and salt with water and Olive oil until it is a smooth creamy paste.
Add more Olive oil if required.

To make Grilled Eggplant:

Take a large bowl of water and add 1/2 tsp of salt to
Slice the eggplant into fine slices lengthwise and put them in the salted water. Leave them soaked for 10-15 minutes.
Pat the eggplant fry using a tea towel or kitchen napkins and rub them with oil, salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan or a griddle. Once it is hot place the eggplant slices on it in a single layer without overlapping them.
Spoon oil on the eggplant if required. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until the eggplant is cooked.

To make the Rolls:

Spread the coriander hummus on the grilled eggplant slices and roll them to make Grilled Eggplant and Coriander Hummus rolls.

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Healthy Millet Salad

This Healthy Millet Salad is made from Foxtail Millet, kidney beans, sprouts and mix vegetables. It is very healthy, very tasty and very filling. 

You go to the supermarket and are immediately drawn to the shelf that holds these exotic ingredients that you've only heard of but never eaten. It looks nice in it's classy looking packaging. You start remembering that recipe you saw on TV or that food photo that featured in the Magazine, wondering which of them should you cook. You glance at the price, and that wonderful dream of cooking with something exotic just evaporates. Smile replaced by shock. Deja vu, anyone?

I replay this scene everytime I go to stores like FoodHall or Godrej Nature's Basket. And sometimes I do it knowing that it will be an anti-climax. By now I know I will never buy Quinoa because of it's insane cost. Quinoa is being touted as THE superfood. High in protein, not high in calories, it's kind of  a win-win for those who can access it easily.

Quinoa is not Indian. Although, recently, some farmers are toying with the idea of growing Quinoa, it is still not popular enough to replace any of our ancient grains and seeds.

I use Millet instead. India has been the home of millet for centuries. Millets are just as rich as Quinoa. It is rich in fibre and magnesium. It has a low glycemic index and is a rich source of protein. And it is very light on your pocket. In short, millet is affordable super food that are easily available anywhere.

There are various types of Millet:

• Pearl Millet or Bajra
• Foxtail Millet or Navane
• Finger Millet or Ragi
• Sorghum Millet or Jowar

There are so many more, but these are the famous ones.

Let's  get back to this super tasty and healthy Foxtail Millet Salad. I've had it two days in a row and I just cannot have enough of it !!! 

This is a super simple salad. The dressing is made with just Olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper. Everything you already have at home, so there is no excuse to skip making it. Use any oil you like if you have run out of Olive Oil.

Now, usually, I say that there are things that are optional in a recipe. But in this one, the beans are definitely not optional. They are one the major building blocks of this salad. I really don't believe this salad will taste as good if you skip them. Also really needed are the fresh ingredients - tomatoes, cucumbers and mint. Everything else in the salad can either be skipped or replaced. You can substitute the coriander with parsley. Skip the sprouts if you don't have any. I personally like the light sweetness of the carrots in the salad and would recommend keeping it in there.

This salad was pretty filling due to all the protein in it and the slowly digesting millet. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Kabuli Chana Chaat or Chickpea Salad - Street side style salad made with chickpeas, tomatoes, onions and spices. Hot and Tangy - explosive on your taste buds.
• Radish Salad - Fresh salad made from finely chopped radish or daikon (mooli) and it's leaves.

Healthy Millet Salad

Healthy salad made with mixed vegetables, beans, sprouts and Foxtail Millet. 

Recipe Type:  Salad
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Foxtail Millet or  Navane
1 cup cooked Red Kidney Beans or Rajma
1/4 cup Sprouts
2 ripe Tomatoes
1 small Cucumber
1/2 Carrot
1/2 Capsicum
Handful Coriander leaves
Handful Mint leaves
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Honey
2-3 tsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Water

Method:

Wash and soak the millet for 30 minutes.
Drain the millet and pressure cook it with 1/2 cup water until done. In a pressure cooker it takes around 1 whistle or 4-5 minutes after the pressure builds up.
If not using a pressure cooker, cook it the same way you would cook rice.
Allow the millet to cool to room temperature.
Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, carrot and capsicum and add to the millet.
Add the red kidney beans and the sprouts to the millet.
Roughly chop the coriander and mint leaves and add to the millet.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, honey, lime juice, salt and pepper until completely blended.
Pour the dressing over the millet and vegetable mixture and mix well.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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Baby Corn Masala (Vegan)

Baby Corn Masala is a semi dry curry made by tossing stir fried Baby Corn in a North Indian style tomato masala gravy.

I’m all into Baby Vegetables this week. First came the baby potatoes simmers in a delicate creamy gravy a.k.a Punjabi Dum Aloo. In case you missed it, check it out here.

Now it is the time for Baby Corn to shine in this super simple Vegan Baby Corn Masala.

I go through phases in my cooking. One week it is the all down to earth pure South Indian meals with simple vegetables cooked in their own juices with just a simple tempering of mustard, green chilli and curry leaves and finished off with a generous helping of grated coconut. Ah! I just LOVE love love fresh Coconut. I even made Raj get me some fresh Coconut oil from Karkala and it tastes amazing.

Anyway, my next week is all full blown Masala curries or other cuisines I love – Italian, Chinese or Thai. This last week was full on North Indian week. I’ve been busy making grilled Paneer, Punjabi Dum Aloo and now Baby Corn Masala.

Now this recipe is very similar to most North Indian curries you have made and very similar to the Vegatable Jalfrezi that I made earlier (which was super AWESOME, btw). 

It is made by sautéing onions, ginger-garlic paste and tomato puree until the oil separates. But don’t be upset if this never happens for you. It rarely happens when I cook too. For oil to separate, there needs to be sufficient quantity of oil in the pan before you add the ingredients, and I usually skimp on the oil. As far as you fry it sufficient enough, the oil-no oil should not be any problem. 

Then add the tomatoes and cook them until oil “separates”, but seriously, don’t worry about it separating, just as long as the tomatoes are cooked and the flavor has intensified, you should be good to go.

I stir fried the baby corn separately and added it. I’ve found that baby corn never softens, no matter how much I cook it. I like that in a way, since I don’t need to worry about over cooking it, but sometimes I wonder if I’m doing it wrong. But I’m still okay with it since it tastes great with that crunch.

This Baby Corn Masala tastes really good with Naan bread or Roti. 

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Punjabi Dum Aloo - Baby potatoes simmered in a creamy yet vegan tomato based sauce.
• Vegatable Jalfrezi - Mix vegetables in a tomato based sauce.
• Baby Corn and Capsicum Masala - Baby corn and capsicum cooked in a restaurant style masala gravy made with browned onions.

Baby Corn Masala

Semi-dry North Indian style curry made with Baby Corn tossed in a tomato based masala gravy.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

18-20 Baby corn cobs
1 large Onion
1 large Tomato
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala or Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds or Jeera
4-5 tsp Oil
1/4 cup Water
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Cut the baby corn cobs into chunks.
Heat 1-2 tsp of oil in a pan. Once it is hot, add the baby corn and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
Chop the onion finely and puree the tomato.
Heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds.
Once the cumin seeds brown slightly, add the onions and fry until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add all the spices and salt. Mix well. Cook on low heat for another 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the fried baby corn and the water. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rotis.

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Kashmiri Green Apple and Brinjal Curry | Bom Chount Wangan

This Green Apple and Brinjal Curry also called Bom Chount Wangan is a specialty of the Himalayan state of Kashmir.

If you’d told me last month that I would be cooking a Green Apple and Brinjal Curry, I would have laughed it off. “NEVER!!!” would have been my reaction. Apples? In a savory curry? No way, right? I had the same thought process, until NOW.

Over a cup of tea when we were discussing recipes and blogs (this is the direction most of my conversations take, not surprisingly!), my cousin mentioned her Kashmiri friend makes this awesome Green Apple and Brinjal Curry. I was intrigued. I would have never tried it out had I just found this recipe somewhere, but when someone you know recommends something, you feel like at least giving it a try.

Since I did not have the recipe, just the idea of the dish, I did what I do like a 100 times a day – I googled for it. I found this great site for Kashmiri Food by Anjali Pandita. I followed her recipe for the Green Apple and Brinjal Curry, all I did was alter the quantities as I was making a much smaller quantity. You can find her recipe here.

This recipe is interesting. Interesting because I never imagined it would taste the way it did. Spicy and Tangy with a lot of different textures.

Granny Smith or Green Apples are used in this curry. When I tasted them before cooking, they seemed sweet yet slightly tart. But after cooking, they began tasting like raw mango. Most of the apple’s sweetness seeped into the slight gravy it has while the apple pieces retained their tartness.

The recipe originally only calls for Amchur or dried Mango powder to enhance the tartness of the dish if the apples are too sweet. However, due to the transformation of the apples, I added in Jaggery to add sweetness. I've made it an semi-dry curry, that goes well with Roti or Naan. Adjust the consistency if you plan on having it with rice.

Kashmiri Green Apple and Brinjal Curry | Bom Chount Wangan

A spicy semi-dry curry made from Green Apples and Brinjals in Kashmiri style. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Kashmiri
Prep Time:     15 mins
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 Green Apple
4-5 small Brinjals
4-5 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of Ginger paste
2-3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2-1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Jaggery or Sugar (Optional)
1/2 tsp Amchur or dried Mango powder (Optional)
3/4 cup Water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for Garnish

Method:

Dice the apple and the brinjals into equal sized pieces.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the brinjals and apple until they are cooked and keep aside. Insert a knife to check if they are done. If it slides smoothly, they are. I did not cook the apple for long as I like the crunch of the apples. I fried them in batches. If you plan to fry all together, you may need more oil.
Remove the excess oil, leaving only about 1-2 tsp in there.
Add the cumin seeds and crushed fennel seeds.
Once they brown slightly, add the chilli powder and 1/4 cup of water and cook until the water evaporates and the oil separates.
Now add the fried apple and brinjal.
Add the remaining water, garam masala, ginger paste, and salt and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes.
Add amchur if the apple is too sweet and the jaggery if the apple is too sour.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

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Stuffed Potato Skins

Crispy potato, crunchy green Capsicum, punchy tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella cheese. That’s what this whole blog post it about.

I’ve never baked a potato. Or rather, until last week, I had never baked a potato. And now that I have, I feel I’ve opened a door with many many possibilities.

This recipe is a result of entering a competition that asked contestants to cook with 5 ingredients – Potato, Tomato, Capsicum, Cheese and Olive Oil. You couldn’t leave out an ingredient.

I thought of a few options but decided I really wanted to stuff something. Stuffed capsicum or stuffed tomato may be? But when I mentioned stuffed potato skins, I saw Raj’s eye light up. It’s no secret he loves Potato. That was it then – Baked Potato Skins.

Now there is a lot you can do with these Potato Skins, I myself had a dozen ideas, but then I was restricted by the competition rules. Not that I regret that, they were AWESOME just like that.

These little boats to taste-bud-heaven have some lightly stir fried capsicum and an easy-to-make awesome INSTANT super punchy tomato sauce. Apart from the 5 ingredients mentioned above, all you need is oregano or any pizza seasoning, garlic, salt and loads of pepper. This sauce goes amazingly well with pasta and pizza. So increase the quantity and freeze it for rainy days if you wish.

Step one: Crisping up the potato skins. You want them crisppyyyy:

Wash and scrub those potatoes clean. This is how you build muscles working at home. Exercise for today – DONE. Dry them and rub olive oil all over them. Watch out for those slippery ones that go bouncing all over your counter. Use a fork and prick them all over.

Bake them for 1 hour at 200 C of 400 F. In the meanwhile, move on to steps 2 & 3 and come back to one later.

Step two: Making the AWESOME Tomato sauce.

Chop those tomatoes roughly and fry along with some garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the oregano, salt and pepper. If you are like me, pepper == lots and lots of pepper.

Blend it into a coarse sauce. This is a thick sauce. If you plan on using it for pasta, you may want to thin it a little.

Step three: Crunchy crunchy Capsicum.

Chop the capsicum into small pieces. Stir fry in some olive oil until it is slightly cooked. Don’t let it mush up. Sprinkle some salt and keep aside.

Step one again: Crispy skin dreams come true here.

Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice them lengthwise into  half. Using a sharp edged spoon, scoop out the potato gently. Leave around ¼ inch or 0.5 cm of potato still in the skin so it holds it’s shape. Brush generously with olive oil on the inside and outside. Rub some salt.

Now bake it skin side down for 5 mins @ 220 degree C and then flip them over and bake again for 5 mins until the skins are crispy.

Step four: Let’s get the cheese BUBBLING

Assembly is all that it left before oozy cheese. Spoon in the capsicum and the sauce. Then grate over some mozzarella or any stringy melty cheese. This is what my food dreams are made of! Back into the oven for 4-5 mins until the cheese melts and it all bubbly.

Step five: Finish them off immediately!!!

Let’s face it, step five isn’t really a cooking step, but it is the most important step in the process.

I did not use the scooped out potato in this recipe. You can stuff it back in. I used it up to make some buttery Aloo Paratha.

Stuffed Potato Skins

Baked potato skins stuffed with an instant tomato sauce, fried green Capsicum and Mozzarella cheese.

Recipe Type:  Appetizers / Snacks
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     20 mins
Cook time:     1 hour 45 minutes
Yield:                6 skins

Ingredients:

3 large Potatoes
2 Tomatoes
1 Capsicum
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
5-6 Tbsp Mozzarella Cheese
2 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Oregano
1-2 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
Wash, scrub and dry the potatoes.
Rub with olive oil and Ppick them with a fork all over.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and add crushed garlic and chopped tomato to it. Cook until the tomatoes have become soft and mushy
Add salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well.
Allow it to cool and then grind to a coarse sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp of Olive oil and fry chopped capsicum in it.
Slice the potatoes lengthwise and with a spoon gently scoop out the potato. Leave at least 1/4 inch of potato with the skin.
Rub olive oil and salt on the inside of the potato and outside.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 220 degree C.
Bake the potato skins in oven for 10 minutes, turning the potatoes after 5 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, stuff them with capsicum, tomato sauce and top with cheese.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

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Mint Peanut Chutney | Pudina Mungfali Chutney

Call it what you like - Mint and Peanut Chutney or Mint Pesto, there is no doubt you will fall in love with it.

I'm sure by now you are aware of my complete and total obsession with Mint. I simply cannot get over it. While the pot in the balcony keeps spilling over with fresh Mint, I will continue to use it in my kitchen. 

This Mint Peanut Chutney is a hand me down recipe. I got it from my sister Gee and she got it from her Mother-in-Law. I totally hated hand me downs when I was a kid. The books, the clothes, the toys. But I'm always open to hand me down recipes. It only means the recipe is tried, tested and loved. This one is all three and more. It is so simple and so versatile. I eat it as a chutney with Dosa, I use it as a dip for my chips, I use it as a spread on bread. 

I was very excited about this post. Most of all because of my cute little mason jars. Do you see how cute they are? I've always had my eyes open for them, but they are expensive and I never found the size I liked. Finally, last weekend I got the size I wanted at a price I wanted, ain't I lucky? I had to use them in photos and this mint chutney was the perfect recipe to showcase my little jars. 

Back to my Mint Peanut Chutney - because all the ingredients are cooked before grinding into a chutney, this chutney keeps well for almost 10 days in the fridge. But don't worry, it never lasts that long. It will be over in the blink of an eye.

Step by Step Instructions:

1) Wash the mint leaves thoroughly.
2) Heat oil in a pan and add the mint leaves to the pan along with slit green chillies.
3) Fry for 5 minutes.

4) Add chopped tomato, peanuts and salt into the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.
7) Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
8) Grind with a little water. The chutney should not be very smooth, it should be slightly coarse.

Mint Peanut Chutney | Pudina Mungfali Chutney

Simple cooked chutney made with mint and peanuts.


Recipe Type:  Chutney
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 mins
Cook time:     25 mins
Yield:                200 ml

Ingredients:

5 cups Mint (loosely packed)
1/3 cup Peanuts
1 Tomato 
1-2 Green Chillies
2-3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp Water

Method:

Wash the mint leaves thoroughly.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mint leaves to the pan along with slit green chillies.
Fry for 5 minutes.
Add chopped tomato and peanuts into the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Add salt.
Keep stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Grind with a little water. The chutney should not be very smooth, it should be slightly coarse.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps well for 7-10 days.

Send me pics, comment on this post, tweet or share on FB if you've made this Mint Peanut Chutney. I wanna seeee.

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Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa is a rice and lentil pancake that has a chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and stuffed with a potato bhaji and served with a simple coconut chutney.

Weekends are meant to be slept in. Aren't they? But sometimes, waking up early on a weekend has it's own excitement - that slight chill in the air, the sky all grey and cloudy, birds chirping away from their hiding places and an occasional car or bus on the road. At times like this, all I need is a steaming hot cup of coffee and a blanket to wrap myself as I sit in the balcony watching the world go by. And you know what's better than that? Having a plate of absolutely delicious homemade Mysore Masala Dosa to eat.

There is absolutely nothing like a Mysore Masala Dosa for breakfast. The good thing about Bangalore is you can eat a Masala Dosa morning, evening or night and for as little as Rs.20 and for as much as Rs.200. But this homemade Masala Dosa is sooo much better than the restaurant ones. I swear you won't like those once you have tasted one that YOU made at home.

A Mysore Masala Dosa is crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It has a spicy red chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and is always stuffed with a potato bhaji. Served with a simple coconut chutney, it actually makes one of the most delicious breakfast. Sometimes, dinner too. Skip the red chilli chutney, to get a regular Masala Dosa.

In the age of fast food, a Dosa is a mix of both food movements - slow and fast. It needs to go through the slow process of fermentation but after that, it is a matter of minutes to cook it. 

Points to keep in mind:

• There are many recipes out there that replace the rice with rice flour or with all purpose flour, but a Dosa tastes authentic only when it is made with with rice grains as opposed to flour. 
• I ALWAYS use an age old cast iron griddle or tava to make Dosa. It gives it that amazing color and crispness, but my sister swears by her non stick tava or griddle. Either way, a Dosa tava is meant to be absolutely flat, non stick or cast iron. You can also use a flat frying pan. 
• In winters or if the day is cold, you may need more time to ferment the batter. Keeping it near a warm stove or oven helps. If you live in a hot region or it is summer, you may need only 6-8 hours for the batter to ferment. 
• You will know that the batter is fermented when it has risen and tastes sour. 
• If you do not plan to use the entire batter at one go, remove the excess and only add salt to the batter you plan to use immediately. 

Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa is a rice and lentil pancake that has a chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and stuffed with a potato bhaji.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     24 Hours (Including soaking and fermenting)
Cook time:     5 minutes per Masala Dosa
Yield:                Makes 12-15

Ingredients:

For the Dosa:

1.5 cups Dosa Rice (Use regular rice if you don't have dosa rice)
0.5 cup Urad Dal or Split Black Gram
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds or Methi seeds
Water to grind
1-2 tsp Salt
1.5-2 tsp Oil per Dosa

For the Red Chilli Chutney:

8-10 dry Red Chillies
1-2 Garlic cloves
1-2 Tbsp Water
1/2-1 tsp Salt

For the Potato Bhaji:

3-4 medium sized Potatoes (Boiled and Peeled)
1 large Onion
3-4 Green Chillies
1 sprig Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
3-4 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves

Method:

To make the Dosa Batter:

Soak the rice, urad dal and methi seeds for 8-10 hours. To make Dosa for breakfast, soak the grains the previous morning. So you can grind the batter at night.
Drain the water and grind the soaked rice and dal into a fine batter. Use as little water as possible while grinding. Adding too much of water will not allow the batter to become fine. Start with 1/4-1/2 cups of water and then add more if required.
Pour the batter into a deep vessel. Mix well if you ground the batter in batches.
Cover and keep in a warm place to ferment overnight.
When the batter has risen and become sour, it has fermented enough and can be used to make Dosa.
The batter keeps well in the fridge for almost a week. See "Points to keep in mind" above for more information on storage.

To make the Red Chilli Chutney:

Remove the seeds from the dry red chillies and soak them in warm water for 30 minutes.
Grind them into a fine paste along with the garlic, salt and a little water.
Store in an airtight box in the fridge. It keeps well for 2 weeks in the fridge.

To make the Potato Bhaji:

Mash the potatoes into rough cubes.
Slice the onions and chop green chillies.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, onions and the green chillies.
Fry the onions until they are translucent.
Add the potato and mix well. 
Now add the salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.
Fry for 1-2 minutes.
Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

To make the Mysore Masala Dosa:

Grease a cast iron or non stick griddle and heat it.
Once the griddle is hot (not smoking), pour one ladle full of batter on the griddle and spread it from the inside out into a thin circle.
Drizzle a spoonful of oil on it and allow it to cook on medium heat.
When the side touching the griddle turns golden brown and crisp and the side facing you is cooked and there is no raw batter there, spread 1/2-1 tsp of the red chilli chutney on the dosa.
Place a spoonful of potato bhaji on the dosa and fold the dosa into half.
Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

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